hubbell



(No Model.)

0. H. HUBBELL.

ORGAN GASB.

Patented Aug. 14, 1888.

mv PEYERS, Phaw-Lnhugnpher. Wlihmgi UNITED STATES PATENT CEEreE.

. HUBBELL, OF BIRMINGHAM, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE STERLING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

O RGAN-CAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,884, dated August 14, 1888.

Serial No. 274,480.

(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, CHARLES H. HUnnELL, of Birmingham, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvementin Crgan-Cases; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the let ters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and

which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a perspective view of an organcase, showing a portion of the pedal-cover broken away; Fig. 2, a vertical central section I 5 of the same, showing thekey-board and pedalcover in the closed position; Fig. 3, the same section as Fig. 2, showing the key-board and pedal-covers open; Fig. 4, an inside view of the front of the organ -case, the pedals removed,- Fig. 5, a vertical section through the grooves of one of the abutments, enlarged,showing the trunnions of the pedalcover as working therein.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of organ-cases in which the blowpedals are arranged in front, so that the performer also works the bellows.

In the more general construction of this class of cases the two pedals are arranged in a re cess in the front of the case near the floor and stand at a convenientinclination to receive the feet. These are usually covered with fabric or other material to give them a tasteful appearance; but after a little use this material becomes worn, so that its tasteful appearance is lost. Again, the pedal-recess offers a convenient opening for mice to enter the organ, the result of which is well known. It also permits the entrance of dust into the interior of the organ to the detriment of the instrument. Various devices have been applied to close the pedal-opening when not in use; but these have been more or less inconvenient, requiring some special manipulation for opening and closin Ordinarily the performer will close the key-board when through playing or practicing, thus necessitating the opening of the key-board before playing can begin.

The object of my invention is to take advan- 5 tage of this opening and closing of the keyboard to produce a simultaneous uncovering and covering of the pedals; and the invention consists in the mechanism hereinafter dc scribed, and particularly recited in the claims.

The organ-case may be of any desirable shape 5 5 or style. The representation which I have adopted for illustrating my invention is that for a common reedorgan, and in which the pedals A are hung in a recess in the bottom front of the case in the usual manner.

B represents the keyboard cover, which,instead of swinging, as usual in this class of organs, I hang within the case by links 0, as seen in Fig.2. Preferably I provide two of these linksone at each end of the organ-case. 6 5 They are hung by their upper end upon a pivot, a, and at their lower end they are at tached by a pivot, b, to an arm, (I, which or:- tends inward from the rear edge of the cover B.

6 represents a guide or roller fixed at the end of the case upon the under side of the cover and near its upper edge, so that the cover may move backward and inward over the said guide 6, as from the position Fi 2 to that in Fig. 3. Under this movement the cover rises from its inclined positi0n,and, moving inward,assumes substantially a horizontal position; but the particular position of the cover within the case is immaterial to the invention, it only being essential that it shall have an inward movement in openin Each side the pedal-opening an abutment,D, is provided in the usual manner, the pedals standing between the said abutments. These abutments extend up on the front of the organ, forming a central panel, F. Upon the inner face of each abutment and outside the pedals A a groove, f, is formed, preferably inclined, substantially like the pedals in their normal position; but above the pedals the groovef o continues parallel with the face of the organ,as represented in Figs. 2 and The grooves f in the respective faces of the abutment form guides in which the pedal-cover F may run. This cover in length corresponds to the dis tance between the two abutments D and in width so that when in its down position, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2,it will completely inelose the pedals. Each end of the cover F is constructed with two trunnionsg g-one near each edge, as seen in Fig. 5. These trunnions extend into the respective grooves f and form the connection between the grooves and the cover, so that as the cover rises the trunnions will Work through the grooves,the lower trunnions running through the lower or inclined part of the grooves,while the uppertrunnions will work in the vertical portion of the grooves, so that the cover may readily slide from the closed position of Fig. 2 to the open position as seen in Fig. 3. This construction and arrangement of the cover is convenient for opening and closing the pedal-opening or covering and uncovering the pedals without being made to operate automatieallythat is to say, the cover may stand in its closed position and be provided with a suitable handle or knob-say h, Fig. l-by which it may be raised, and when raised caught in such raised or open position by any suitable spring such as employed for windowsashes. and other purposes, which is too well known to require illustration or description. I desire, however, to make the pedalcover to open under the opening movement of the key-board. To this end I arrange a system of levers be tween the key-board and the pedal-cover, so that as the key-board cover is opened the said leverconnection produces a corresponding opening movement of the pedal cover, and accordingly when the key board cover is closed the pedal cover will also close. To make such a connection between the key-board and pedal-covers, I illustrate a simple arrangement of levers.

G represents a lever, hung upon a fulcrum on the inner side of the end of the case upon a pivot, z, and so as to swing in a vertical plane. One arm of this lever extends upward and in rear of the lever O, or a corresponding projection on the cover, so that as the cover is moved inward this lever will be turned, say, as from the position seen in Fig. 2 to that seen in Fig. 3. Upon the inside of the ends of the case I arrange a second lever, H, upon a fulcrum, k. One arm of this lever H is connected with the corresponding arm of the lever G by a connecting-rod, I, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3. Upon theinside of the front of the casea longitudinal lever, L, is hung upon a fulcrum, Z, (see Fig. 4,) so as to swing in a plane parallel with the plane of the front of the case. This lever is arranged above the pedals. One arm of this lever L is connected with the corresponding arm of the lever H by a connecting-rod, M, and the other arm of the lever L is connected by a link, N, with the pedal-cover between the two pedals, so that the said link may work freely up and down between the pedals.

' The operation of this system of levers is as follows: Standing in the closed position, as seen in Fig. 2, if the cover be opened, its open ing movement will impart to the lever G the movement before described, taking it from the position represented in Fig. 2 to that seen in Fig. 3, and the swinging movement of the lever G imparts a corresponding swinging move ment to the lever H, which is communicated to the lever L. This movement of the lever L causes the arm to which the link N is connected to rise, as indicated in broken'lines, Fig. 4, and in such rise the link-connection N causes the cover F to rise accordingly from the position seen in Fig. 2 to that in Fig. 3, and which position is retained by the resistance which the cover B offers to the return of the cover F; but when it is desired to close the organ the cover B is drawn forward to its closed position, which removes the support for the cover F, and that cover then slides down of its own gravity, returning the levers to their position, as seen in Fig. 2. Thus the cover of the pedals is operatedautomatically from the cover of the key-board both in opening and closing without inconvenience to the performer;

The cover F may be made highly ornamental and so as to make an attractive feature of the organ.

I am aware that covers for the pedal-opening of organ-cases have been arranged to slide in guides in opening and closing; but in such cases the sliding cover has been necessarily thrown into the inside of the case, whereas in my invention the sliding cover does not enter the case or interfere therewith, this advantage being due to the peculiar shape of guides in the abutments, between which the sliding cover is arranged.

I am also aware that covers for the pedalopenings have been connected with an inwardly-sliding cover of the key-board, so that the inward and outward movement of the keyboard cover would correspondingly open and close the pedal-cover.

I am also aware that pedal-covers have been constructed and hinged so as to fold upward outside the case. In all these devices there is necessarily a very considerable space required between the pedals and the top of the pedalopening for the operation of the pedal-covers. I therefore do not wish to be understood as claiming, broadly, a cover for the pedal-open ing, or the combination of such a pedal-cover with a sliding key-board cover, whereby the opening and closing movement of the key-board cover is imparted to the pedal-cover, the essential feature of my invention being the groove formed in the abutments each side the pedalopening, and which grooves are outside the organ-case, the upper part of the groove parallel with the front and the lower part inclined downward and outward above the pedals,with the cover supported in the said peculiar-shaped grooves, whereby when closed it stands in an inclined position over the pedals, but in opening it runs from its inclined position over the pedals into a vertical position outside and in front of the case.

I claim- 1. In an organcase substantially such as described, the abutments D D each side the pedalopening, and between which the pedals A are arranged, the said abutments constructed each with a corresponding groove upon the inner face, said grooves inclined from their lower end to a point near the top of the pedals, thence running vertically outside of and parallel with the front of the case above the pedals, combined with a cover, F, arranged between saidabutments, the said cover provided with trnunions yg at each end near the upper edge and like trunnions g 9 upon each end near the lower edge, the said trunnions extending into said grooves, and the grooves forming guides in which said trunnions will work, substantially as described, and whereby said cover may be guided in its opening and closing movement.

2. in an organcase substantially such as deseribed,the combination of the key-board cover B, arranged to slide backward and inward in opening, a pedal-cover, F, arranged between the pedal-abutnients of the case, the said abutments each constructed with a groove,]", upon its inner face, said groovesinclined from their lower end to a point near the top of the pedals, thence running vertically outside of and parallel with the front of the case, and into which projections from the cover F extend as guides for the movement of the said cover F, a system of levers, substantially such as described, between the said key-board cover 13 and the said pedal-cover F, substantially as specified, and whereby the opening and closing movement 01' the keyboard cover imparts a corresponding opening and closing movement to the pedal-cover,

GHAS. H. HUBBELL.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN E, EARLE, J, H. SHUMWAY, 

